Racing Through Dimensions: Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Switch 2 Edition Review
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Switch 2 Edition throws the blue blur and his mates into a high-speed collision of Sega worlds. You aren’t just sticking to the asphalt here; your vehicle shifts into boats and planes as the track demands, all while the “CrossWorld” mechanic swaps the scenery mid-race. It’s a loud, flashy arcade racer built to show off what the new Nintendo hardware can do while keeping things simple enough for anyone to pick up and play.
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA
Genre: Kart Racing
Release Date: December 4, 2025
Website: Official Site
UK Store: Nintendo eShop
Quick Nav: Specs & HUD | Gameplay Review | Performance | Settings
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Switch 2 Edition Review: Specs & HUD
- The mini map shows where everyone is in real time.
- Hit anyone with a power-up, and it shows on the screen as a pop-up.
- The speedometer display features a speed dial, where getting the revs in the green gives a starting speed boost.
- HUD includes ring counts (up to 100), item slots, and race position.
- In-game display toggles for map/team position, item info, and drift/air trick displays.
Gameplay Review & Mechanics Breakdown
The controls are tight and very arcade-like, super easy to learn. The trick system is simple enough, with just the left stick needed, and you can do them whenever you hit a ramp. During a race, you can and will turn into boats and flying machines. Racing gameplay involves seven Grand Prixs, and each has four races, and the one with the most points at the end wins. I really like that the championship events are three tracks, then the last event is a lap on each track you just raced. The final race in a Grand Prix is a race through all 3 previous tracks.
The Crossworld part of the game is that whoever is in first place on the second lap gets to choose one of two locations to go into for a lap. Every grand prix event will pair you up against a rival, where beating them gives extra rewards. If you don’t beat your rival in a championship, then you can choose to lower their difficulties. Pick up power-ups to get an edge, like boosts, spike balls, etc. You can indeed fire power-ups behind you. Each track has bonus collectibles like collecting the red coins, and these give Donpa tickets. Collect rings, and you can have 100 at one time and any hits you get, you lose a load of coins.
Drifting is in the game and has levels to it. The longer you hold the drift, the more it unleashes a short turbo. There are three types of game modes – Grand Prix, Race Park for multiplayer races, and Time Trial. This isn’t just another Kart Racer; it’s actually more of a challenge than, say, Mario Kart, even on easy. It is a fun game to play and is becoming a true great for the series, but it definitely isn’t as addictive as the earlier games.
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Switch 2 Edition Review: Performance & Fidelity
- Awesome graphics with full 3D race tracks, and the locations look awesome and are from many Sega games.
- 24.8GB download size.
- Five game speed choices – normal, high speed, sonic speed, super sonic speed, and mirror sonic speed.
- There can be some slowdown when transitioning between tracks, which is noticeable.
- Visuals are sharp, but there is only one driving view, which is third-person.
Settings, Customisation & Control Details
- Graphics settings include a brightness slider.
- Audio sliders for – voice, sound effects, BGM, and master volume.
- Online settings – display play status, crossplay, friend requests, player ID search, lobby invites, and mid-race lobby invites.
- Language settings – text, voice, and captions.
- Controller settings – change selected player, gyro trick toggle, vibration, input type, Invert flight form controls, steering sensitivity slider, and add gadget button.
- Driving assists for – auto accelerate, tricks help, and steering assist.
- Machine creator is where you can buy and equip different parts to create your own vehicle, and any machine part affects the stats of the vehicle.
- Modifying vehicles is where you change just the cosmetic parts of your vehicle, and you can buy more parts with your Donpa tickets. Paint your car, add stickers, change the horn or boost colour, it’s very deep.
- Before a race, you can pick a plate to use, and the plate will have buffs or abilities attached to them, you can also create your own plates with unlocks.
- No accessibility options like dyslexic font or Colourblind support.
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Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Switch 2 Edition Review
Summary
THRILLS & HIGHLIGHTS
Awesome graphics with full 3D race tracks and locations that look awesome from many Sega games. The controls are tight and very arcade-like, super easy to learn. 23 characters including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream and cheese, Big, Silver, Blaze, Zazz, Zavok, Charmy, Espio, Vector, Omega, Rouge, Shadow, Dr Eggman, Metal Sonic, Egg Pawn, Sage, Jet, Wave, and Storm. I really appreciate the fact that each character (mostly DLC) has their own music tracks and album. The machine editor and creator is very deep for painting your car and adding stickers. Free Blue Star extreme gear from the eshop and Donpa tickets earned from events to buy new parts. Challenges let Chao work his way along a Battlepass looking system with no real money, just in-game rewards. It is a fun game to play and is becoming a true gem for the series.
KEY NEGATIVES
The CPUs are cheap and lucky with their power-ups. The tutorials are just videos and only show the basic controls and mechanics. There can be some slowdown when transitioning between tracks, which is noticeable. No accessibility options like dyslexic font or Colourblind support. There is only one driving view, which is third person. Can be hard to time firing items behind you to nullify an attack. The customisation of your vehicles is good, but it means you’re picking what makes your vehicle better rather than what it looks like. It definitely isn’t as addictive as the earlier games.
OVERALL VERDICT
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds is a proper Sega celebration that looks stunning on the new hardware. The CrossWorld dimension swapping keeps you on your toes, and the sheer amount of characters, with more like Nights and Minecraft on the way, is massive. It’s more of a challenge than Mario Kart, even if the AI cheats like mad sometimes, and the track transitions can chug. It’s a fun, tight arcade racer that rewards the grind for Donpa tickets without asking for real cash. Not quite as addictive as the classics, but it’s a true great for the series that every Switch 2 owner needs to check out.
